After being cut by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the National Football League, Ray Rice broke his silence on Tuesday.

In his official statement, the former running back told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he has to be there for his family as they try to “work through this.”

Rice’s statement comes on the heels of his wife Janay’s post earlier to Instagram in which she defended her husband.

As previously reported, the 27-year-old was cut by the Ravens and suspended by the NFL after video was released of him knocking her out in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino.

League commissioner Roger Goodell took heat for originally only suspending the athlete for two games before the video was made public.

The entire situation surrounding what took place that evening was mishandled from the beginning and is a complete embarrassment to everyone involved in the case, including the NFL.

What’s even more troubling though is that in his statement, Rice never took responsibility for what everyone now knows occurred in that elevator. A statement with him actually owning up to and apologizing for his deplorable actions may have been received a little better.